Russian-Speaking Ukrainians In Turkey Increasingly Switch To Ukrainian, Says Writer

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) Olena Lytvynenko, a former diplomat and author of the book“The Viburnum Aftertaste of Turkish Tea”, spoke about this in an interview with Ukrinform.

“Many of my acquaintances among the Russian-speaking members of the diaspora have already switched to Ukrainian,” Lytvynenko said.

According to her, the Ukrainian diaspora in Turkey is currently strong and united, with both Ukrainians who lived in the country before the start of the full-scale Russian invasion and those who arrived after 2022 acting in concert.

Community representatives organize charity events, collect and send aid to Ukraine, and promote Ukrainian culture, history, and traditions. This also helps popularize the Ukrainian language among the diaspora.

Lytvynenko noted that the active unification and strengthening of the Ukrainian diaspora in Turkey began as early as 2013–2015, when Ukrainian associations began to be established and officially registered in various regions of the country. Later, following the start of the full-scale invasion, many Ukrainians arrived in Turkey, primarily in Istanbul, Ankara, and Antalya. The diaspora provided humanitarian assistance to the new arrivals, offered counseling, and helped with language learning and organizing education for children.

Read also: Ukrainian communities in Ankara discuss diaspora development and joint initiatives

The writer emphasized that Ukrainians in Turkey continue to collectively support Ukraine and represent it within Turkish society.

As reported by Ukrinform, following Russia's full-scale war, demand for Ukrainian studies in France has surged sharply, and the Ukrainian language is now being studied not only by Slavicists and members of the diaspora but also by French students and researchers.

Photo from Olena Lytvynenko's archive

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